Apparatus for handling and cooling cans.



- No. 734,441 PATBNTEUJULY 21,1903,

W. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR'HANDLING AND 000mm CANS.-

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1902. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

% www No. 734,441. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

W. SMITH APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND (EQQLING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED snrr. 1?. 191mm N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T I M S W APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND COOLING CANS.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 17. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3. 7

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903 PATENT O FICE.-

WVILLIAM SMITH, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES O. WALDO, OF GRIMES, IOWA.

APPARATUS FQR HANDL INGAND COOLING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,441, dated July 21, 1903. Application filed September 1'7 19 02. Serial No. 123,789. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SMITH, acitizen of the United States, and'aresidentof Des Moines, county of Polk, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Handling and Cooling Cans,of which the followingis a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide an apparatus of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction especially adapted for use in canning factories for the purpose of au tomaticallyconveying crates containing numbers of heated cans through a cooling-tank containing water by which the cans are cooled and the crates conveyed through the tank and elevated beyond the tank and carried to a distant point after being cooled.

More specifically, it is my object to provide simple, strong, and durable means for term porarily supporting a. crate full of cans in a part of the cooling-tank, so that it may readily be connected with a carriage mounted for travel upon an elevated track, and, further, in this connection to provide simple and easily-operated means whereby the crate is lowered in the tank and the carriage started along the track by the operator.

A further object is to provide means of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction whereby the carriages supporting crates are automatically engaged by the chain driven at slow speed parallel with the track, so that the crates are propelled thereby throughout the length of the tank, and, further, to provide means whereby these crates are automatically elevated upon approaching.

the discharge end of the cooling-tank as required to pass out of the cooling-tank and the carriages are automatically uncoupled from the propelling-chain, so that they maybe free to travel along the track to a distant point.

My invention consists in certain details i the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as

hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.-

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the comparatus, the crate-supporting carriages being omitted and the driving-pulley removed. Fig. 3 shows in perspective one of the crate-supporting carriages mounted upon a section of the elevated track. Fig. 4 shows an enlarged sectionalview through the indicated line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a detail perspective view, parts being broken away, illustrating the upwardly-inclined portion at the discharge end of the elevated track and connected parts, also showing two crate-supporting carriages in position thereon; and Fig. 6 shows an enlarged detail perspective View of the device for holding the chain in engagementv with the carriage at the point where the track inclines upwardly near its discharge end.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate the cooling-tank, having at one end an inlet-pipe 11 and at its other end a dischargepipe 12. The tank is filled with flowing watcr up to the point where the water may'discharge through pipe 12. The receiving end of the tank is located in position where crates of cans may readily be placed therein from the crane which is used to remove them from the cooking-receptacle, and I have provided a hinged platform 13 in this end of the tank, supported upon the end of the tank by the hinges 14 at one end and having its other end supported by the rods 15 to normally stand in a substantially horizontal position a considerable distance above the bottom of the tank.

The numeral 16 indicates a shaft'supported in an elevated frame 17, and fixed to said shaft 16 are two arms 18, thesaid rods 15 being attached to these arms. On one end of the shaft 16 is a lever 19, which lever is normally in engagement with stop 20.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that the hinged platform 13 is normally in position to receive a crate of cans, and when the lever 19 is slipped past its stop 20 the free end of said platform may drop downwardly until it rests upon the bottom of the tank, whereupon the crate on the platform will be free to slide downwardly.

I have also mounted upon the elevated frame 17 a shaft 21, having fixed thereto a pulley 22, whereby power may be applied to operate the apparatus. Mounted upon the same shaft is a worm 23, normally meshed with a worm gear-wheel 24 of comparatively large diameter and fixed to the shaft 25,which shaft is supported upon the frame 17 and stands at right angles to the longitudinal center of the tank. Fixed to this same shaft 25 is a sheave 26, over which the carriage-propelling chain 27 travels. Obviously during the rotation of pulley 22 chain 27 will be driven. At the opposite end of the apparatus is a sheave 28, around which the chain 27 also passes. This sheave is mounted in bearing-blocks 29, which bearing-blocks are made longitudinally adjustable relative to the frame 17 by being connected with the screw-threaded rod 30, passed through a stationary support 31 and provided with a nut 32, bearing against the said stationary support. The opposite ends of the bearingblocks 29 are supported upon a pin 33, passed through the slot 34, which slot is formed in a part of the elevated frame 17.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, the reference-numeral 35 is used to indicate two parallel side boards extending longitudinally of the tank and supported upon the frame 17, and it is in these side boards that the slot 34 is formed. A cross-piece 36 connects the said side boards 35 and forms a channel in which the chain 27 moves duringits return. Mounted at regular distances upon one of the side boards 35 is a series of metal hangers 37, supporting at their lower ends the track 38, and between the hanger and the track is a longitudinal strip 39, upon which the chain may rest during its effective movement toward the delivery end of the tank. The said side boards 35 are parallel with the track, and the track is arranged at a uniform distance above the tank, except near the delivery end of the tank, at which point it inclines upwardly and toward the delivery end, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 and the receiving end of the track 38 is arranged directly over the receiving end of the tank and inclines downwardly at 38. Above the central portion of the tank this track inclines downwardly slightly at 38*. Directly over the delivery end of the tank it inclines upwardly at 38, and immediately beyond the delivery end of the tank the track inclines sharply downward at 38. As will be seen by referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the propelling chain travels in one direction upon the strip 39 andin anotherdirection upon the crosspiece 36. In order to hold this chain in position when passing the point where the track starts its upward incline near the delivery end of the tank, I have provided a wheel 40, having cross-pieces 41 mounted on a springnnetal arm 42, one end of said arm being fixed to the side boards 35, the said rollers standing directly above the track 38, thus preventing the chain from moving upwardly beyond a certain limit and at the same time not interfering with the passage of the carriages along the track, as will hereinafter appear. At the top of the side boards 35 at the point where they begin to incline upwardly I have mounted a roller 43 to limit the upward movement of the chain at this point, the chain passing under the said roller.

The carriage (clearly illustrated in Fig. 3) comprises a top piece 44, having its ends turned upwardly at 45 and provided with V- shaped notches 46. Secured to the under surface of the top piece 44 are the uprights 47, and these uprights are connected at their lower ends with the bottom piece 48, to which a hook 49 is swiveled. The said uprights 47 each support a grooved roller 50, the groove therein being of a width to freely admit the top edge of the track 38. The uprights 47 are pivotally connected with the top piece 44 and fixed to the bottom piece 48, so that the track may be curved and the carriage travel freely around the said curves.

The reference-numeral 51 indicatesa crate, preferably made of metal hoops and uprights and provided with a hinged bail 52, and a link 53 is provided to engage the bail 52 and also the swiveled hook 49. It is to be understood in this connection that a large number of such crates are provided, and a carriage is also provided for each crate.

I have also provided means by which the carriages are temporarily held upon the inclined portion 38 of the track as follows: The numeral 54 indicates a lever, fulcru med at 55 to the frame 17 directly above the inclined portion 38 of the track. This lever has a downwardly-inclined portion 56 of such size as to project far enough to be engaged by the upturned end 45 of one of the carriages mounted upon said inclined portion of the track. When the outer end of this lever is pulled downwardly, the end 56 is elevated sufficiently to permit the upturned ends 45 to pass under it.

In practical use and assuming that the belt-wheel 22 is being driven it is obvious that the propelling-chain 27 will travel at a comparatively slow speed in one direction on top of the strip 39 and in another direction on top of the cross-piece 36. In use I preferably time the travel of the chain so that it will move the length of the tank in about fifteen minutes. Assuming, further, that a crate full of cans has just been removed from the cooking vessel, it is deposited by means of a crane upon the platform 13. Then the operator places one of the carriages upon the inclined portion 38 of the track and the lever 54 engages one of the upturned ends of said carriage and holds the carriage in the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Then the link 53 is suspended on the swiveled hook 49 and is made to engage the pivoted bail 52 of the crate. When this is done, the operator manipulates the lever 54 sufficiently to .release the carriage. Then he manipulates lever 19 sufficiently to drop the tilting platform 13, whereupon the crate begins to travel longitudinally upon the track 38 on account of the momentum it receives from the inclined track 38*. When the carriage has traveled only a short distance, the upturned ends 45 will engage the chain 27 at the point where it inclines downwardlyfrom the sheave 26 to the track, one of the links of said chains will enter the V-shaped notch therein, and then as the chain advances along the track it will propel the carriage with it. clearly shown in Fig. 1, is comparatively loose, and portions of it rest upon the strip 39 on-both sides of the carriage, so that .any number of these carriages may be engaged and propelled by this chain at one time. Ohviously the roller 40 on the spring-rod 42 will hold the chain downwardly far enough so that it will remain in contact with the carriages while the carriages are traveling over the upwardly-inclined portion of the track 38. Then when the carriages reach the downwardly-inclined portion of the track 38 the chain is elevatedout of the V-shaped grooves automatically and the carriages dropped to the portion of the track beyond said incline and may then be run in any desirable way to a distant point. It is obvious that the complete operation of connecting the carriages to they propellingchain,carrying them through the tank, elevating them out of the tank, and disconnecting them from the chain is all done automatically without the attention of the operator.

Having thus described rnyinvention, what peller above the track inclined downwardly at one end toward the track, and means borne by the carriage for automatically receiving the flexible propeller and coupling thereto at the point where the propeller inclines downwardly.

2; In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of an elevated track, a carriage mounted upon the track, a flexible propeller above the track inclined downwardly at one end toward the track and inclined upwardly at its other end from the track, and means borne by the carriage for automatically receiving the flexible propeller and coupling thereto at the point where the propeller inclines downwardly, and for automatically disengaging from the propeller at the point where it inclines upwardly.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an elevated track, a carriage borne by the track, a notched projection thereon, and a chain propelled along the track inclined downwardly at one end toward the track and inclined upwardly at its other end from the track susceptible of being engaged This chain, as.

and held by the notched projection, for the purposes stated.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an elevated track, a carriage mounted upon the track and having upturned ends provided with V-shaped notches, two sheaves above the track, a chain traveling around the sheaves, the lower portionof the chain normally inclining downwardly at one end thereof and inclining upwardly from the track at the other end thereof to enter said notches, for the purposes stated.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tank and an elevated track, of two sheaves supported above the track, a chain passed around the sheaves with its under portion adjacent to the track, a carriagemounted upon the track and comprising a frame, two grooved rollers resting upon the track and swiveled in the frame, and upturned ends on the frame having V-shaped notches to receive and engage the chain, a hinged platform within the tank at one end thereof, a crate to rest upon the hinged platform connected with the carriage, and means for releasing the hinged platform to throw the weight of the crate upon the carriage, for

the purposes stated.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an elevated track having a sharply downwardly inclined front end, a

slightly downwardly inclined central portion and an upwardly-inclined rearward portion, two sheaves supported above the track, a chain passed around said sheaves, the under portion of the chain inclined downwardly toward the track adjacent to the front end thereof and inclining upwardly beyond the upwardly-inclined portion at the rear end of the track, a carriage mounted upon the track and having V-shaped notches therein to receive and engage said chain.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of an open-topped tank, a track supported above the tank having a sharplydownwardly inclined portion above one end of the tank, a slightly downwardly inclined portion above the body of the tank and an upwardly-inclined portion above and beyond the rear end of the tank, a carriage mounted upon said track, means for detachably holding the carriage upon the downwardly-inclined portion at the front of the track, a hinged platform in the front end of the tank,

a chain traveling along the top of the track and means for automatically connecting the chain with the carriage at a point near the sharply-inclined portion at the front of the track and for automatically disengaging from the carriage at a point beyond the rear end of the track, for the purposes stated.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a tank, a hinged platform at one end of the tank, means for supporting and locking said platform in a horizontal position and for releasing it, an elevated track above the tank having a sharply downwardly inclined portion above the said platform in the tank, a slightly downwardly inclined portion over the body of the tank and an upwardly-inclined portion above the rear end of the tank, a sheave above the forward end portion of the track, another sheave above the track at the rear end of the tank, a chain traveling around said sheaves, adjustable bearings for the latter sheave for tightening the chain, means for imparting motion to the first-mentioned sheave to drive the chain, a carriage mounted for movement upon the track and having upturned ends provided with V-shaped slots, and means for detachably holding the carriage on the downwardlyinclined portion of the track, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a tank, a hinged platform at one end of the tank, means for supporting and locking said platform in a horizontal position and for releasing it, an elevated track above the tank having a sharply downwardly inclined portion over the said platform in the tank, a slightly downwardly inclined portion over the body of the tank and an upwardlyinclined portion over the rear of the tank, a sheave above the forward end portion of the track, another sheave above the track at the rear end of the tank, a chain traveling around said sheaves, adjustable bearings for the latter sheave for tightening the chain, means for imparting motion to the first-mentioned sheave to drive the chain, a carriage mounted for movement upon the track and having upturned ends provided with V-shaped slots,

and means for releasably holding the car- 

